The atmosphere does not end at a specific place. The higher above the Earth something is, the thinner the atmosphere around it is. There is no clear border between the atmosphere and outer space. 75% of the atmosphere is within 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) of the Earth's surface.

Some parts of the atmosphere are hot or cold, depending on height. If something climbed straight up, it would get colder, but then it would get hotter as the object climbed higher. These changes of temperature are divided into layers. These are like layers of an onion. The difference between the layers is the way the temperature changes.

These are the layers of the atmosphere, starting from the ground:

Troposphere - Starts at the ground. Ends somewhere between 0 to 18 kilometres (0 to 11 miles). The higher, the colder. Weather in this layer affects our daily life.

Stratosphere - Starts at 18 to 50 kilometres (11 to 31 miles). Ends at 50 kilometres (31 miles). The higher, the hotter. The heat comes from the Ozone layer at the top of the stratosphere. There is little water vapor and other substances in this layer. Airplanes fly in this layer because it is usually stable and air resistance is small.

Mesosphere - Starts at 50 kilometres (31 miles). Ends at 80 or 85 kilometres (50 or 53 miles). The higher, the colder. Winds in this layer are strong, so the temperature is not stable.

Thermosphere - Starts at 80 or 85 kilometres (50 or 53 miles). Ends at 640 kilometres (400 miles) or higher. The higher, the hotter. This layer is very important in radiocommunication because it helps to reflect some radio waves.

Exosphere - Above the thermosphere. This is the top layer, and merges into interplanetary space.

Where one layer changes to the next have been named "-pauses." So the tropopause is where the troposphere ends (7 to 14 kilometres (4.3 to 8.7 miles) high). The stratopause is at the end of the stratosphere. The mesopause is at the end of the mesosphere. These are called boundaries.

The average temperature of the atmosphere at the surface of Earth is 14 °C (57 °F).

The density of air at sea level is about 1.2 kilograms per cubic meter. This density becomes less at higher altitudes at the same rate that pressure becomes less. The total mass of the atmosphere is about 5.1 × 1018 kg, which is only a very small part of the Earth's total mass.